Woman to head UH-Clear Lake

‘Inspirational leader’ becomes its fifth president

The University of Houston-Clear Lake announced Friday that Ira Kincade Blake has been selected as the sole finalist to become the school’s president.

After a national search to fill the position, Blake was selected as the sole finalist out of four candidates and would become UH-Clear Lake’s first female president, the university said in a statement. Blake, who would be the university’s fifth president, serves as vice president and provost for academic affairs at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

“Ira Blake is an inspiring leader and accomplished educator, so we are fortunate to have an administrator of her caliber to lead the University of Houston-Clear Lake,” said University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator. “UHCL is a university on the rise, and Dr. Blake has the necessary vision to build on our success.”

A search committee of students, faculty, deans, alumni and other supporters, along with an outside search firm, helped narrow the pool of candidates.

Blake said she was humbled to take the position.

“I look forward to working with the UHCL community to continue progress in its public mission,” she said.

The university’s current president, William Staples, announced last year that he would resign after more than two decades in office. He will continue to serve until Blake starts work Aug. 1.

Texas law requires that 21 days pass before the UH System Board of Regents can formalize the appointment.

Blake has held her Bloomsburg position since 2009. She previously was

associate vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at Dixon University Center.

The new president holds a doctorate and master’s degrees in developmental psychology from Columbia University, as well as a secondary master’s degree in educational psychology from San Francisco State University.

During an open forum on campus in April where she addressed students and faculty, Blake expressed an interest in building the university’s brand and acknowledged she was impressed with the graduate programs and hands-on instruction at the institution.

UHCL has served as an academic institution since 1974, but only recently evolved into a fouryear institution with its freshman class in 2014. The school has more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and three doctoral programs.